Website review for C4

This is a concise, practical review of your current website at c4ensemble.org. The aim is simple: help more people buy tickets, audition and support your work, while keeping things easy to manage for your team.

Clarity of message Ticket sales Auditions and donations

1. Quick snapshot

What is already strong

C4 has a very clear identity as a new music choir in New York City.
The site shows a rich history of concerts, commissions and collaborations.
Key elements already exist: online tickets, auditions information, support page and newsletter.

Where the site is losing opportunities

The homepage feels crowded and based on an older platform layout.
Tickets, auditions and donations are present, but spread out and easy to miss.
On phones, the page is long and the most important actions appear quite low.

C4 already has the story, the reviews and the track record. The main opportunity is to reorder that story so the site behaves like a good front of house: welcome people in, show the next concert, and make it clear how to take part.

2. Key opportunities on the homepage

2.1 First 10 seconds: hero and main message

What we see

The top of the homepage has a banner but no main sentence or clear button. A first time visitor needs to scroll and read to understand who you are, what makes you different and what they can do now.

What we recommend

Add one short headline in the hero area, for example: "New York’s choir for bold, new choral music."
Add one line underneath, such as: "Hear it live, sing with us or support the creation of new works."
Add a primary button like "Next concert tickets" and a secondary link for "Audition info".

Benefit: faster understanding for new visitors and a clear path for people who arrive from social media or press links.

2.2 Tickets and next concert

What we see

The season text and Eventbrite links are there, but they sit inside longer paragraphs. On mobile, someone who only wants tickets has to scroll and scan quite a bit.

What we recommend

Create a small, stable "Next concert" block high on the homepage with title, date, venue and a clear "Buy tickets" button.
Add a simple "Upcoming concerts" link in the menu that jumps directly to this block.
Keep the richer season copy further down for people who want to read details.

Benefit: fewer lost ticket sales from people who give up after scrolling, especially on phones.

2.3 Auditions and singers

What we see

The audition information is good but sits low on the page and is quite dense. The contact point is a link inside a paragraph instead of a clear action.

What we recommend

Move "Audition for C4" much higher, close to the hero and ticket sections.
Start with a short summary box: who you are looking for, rehearsal rhythm, and the honorarium.
Add a clear button like "Request an audition slot" that opens a simple form or prefilled email.
Break the longer text into smaller paragraphs and bullet points for easier reading.

Benefit: more qualified audition enquiries and a first impression that reflects how organised the ensemble really is.

2.4 Donations and supporters

What we see

Support buttons are present in the sidebar and footer, and the list of funders is impressive. On the homepage, these elements sit among many other blocks and do not get the attention they deserve.

What we recommend

Create a visible "Support C4’s mission" block on the homepage with a short, human explanation of what gifts make possible.
Place a strong "Donate" button there, not only at the very bottom.
Group funder and award logos near this block so potential donors immediately see your credibility.

Benefit: easier one time gifts, stronger context for larger donors and a clearer story for funding applications.

2.5 Navigation, mobile and structure

What we see

After years of growth, the menu and homepage carry a lot of items: multiple dropdowns, archives, galleries and project pages. On mobile this becomes a long scroll with many different visual styles.

What we recommend

Simplify the top navigation to a few key items such as: Home, Concerts, Join us, Support, About.
Move older competitions and archives one level deeper under "Media" or "History".
Use consistent text sizes and simple cards for each section, so phones show clear blocks instead of a continuous wall of text.

Benefit: visitors find what they need faster, and the site feels as intentional as your programming.

3. What this can unlock for C4

Practical outcomes

People who land on c4ensemble.org understand in seconds who you are and what to do next.
Buying tickets feels as straightforward as walking to the box office at a concert hall.
Potential singers see that auditions are active, structured and welcoming.
Supporters clearly see the impact of their gifts and how they connect to new music and community work.

From a technical point of view, this review can also serve as a blueprint if you decide to refresh the current site or move to a more flexible platform in the future. The content and history stay; the structure becomes lighter, faster and easier to navigate.

4. How we usually help ensembles like C4

At Choir Web Design we work only with choirs and vocal ensembles. We speak both languages: music and web. For groups like C4 we usually turn a review like this into a simple action plan.

Step 1 – quick wins: adjust the hero, add a next concert block and move auditions higher.
Step 2 – homepage and menu refresh: reorganise content into clear sections and simplify navigation.
Step 3 – long term structure: prepare the content and layout so a future rebuild is smooth, if you choose to do it.

The pace and depth of this work depends on your timeline and capacity. The goal stays the same: a website that works as hard as the ensemble does.